


Without by MJ

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Holiday: Other, M/M, None - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 03:02:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/793299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Father's Day and Jim and Blair celebrate it in different ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without by MJ

**Author's Note:**

> Was thinking about my own Da and this just came out.

## Without

by MJ

Author's disclaimer: NOt mine, darn it but they have not been damaged. 

* * *

Without  
By MJ  
Jim glanced over to where Blair was curled up on the sofa, crosslegged and with papers all around him. He was studying again only it wasn't anthropology. The first exam at the Police Academy was next week and Blair was going to ace it. Not that the younger man had said anything. Jim simply knew his partner's pride was involved. Pride and his innate love of learning. There was no doubt in Jim's mind that Blair would show them all that this 270 degree turn in his life could not phase him. 

But now it was Sunday, time for some down time. 

"Hey, leave all that and join us." 

A quick look up. "Nah, man, test tomorrow." Eyes right back at his papers. 

"Chief, you know all that forwards and backwards. Take a little time to relax. Come with me." 

Blue eyes back up and a smile "'s Father's Day, man. This lunch is for you and Stephen to be with your Dad." 

"They won't mind. Come on." 

"I know Stephen won't but your Dad...he never has figured out how to react to me. And even if he wouldn't mind, that doesn't make me being there the right thing. Go on...you're going to be late. Have a good time." 

Jim knew he was not going to be able to convince Blair. "Ok. But tonight, you and I, buddy. We'll get in some Thai and beer and watch that Jags game." He tilted his head forward slightly, eyes expressing his determination. 

A grin. "Right. Two guys just kicking back, in dirty t-shirts and sweatpants, guzzling beer and yelling at the tv. Male bonding at its best." He extended two thumbs up and grunted. 

With a laugh, Jim swatted at Blair's head, just grazing his hair with fingertips and left the loft. 

* * *

Three hours later, Jim was headed home. Lunch had been good, more relaxed than he had expected. His father had made every effort to get along and the restaurent he picked was casual, not the usual fussy and expensive place that Jim would have guessed he would select. They had talked about what each of them had been up to since the last time they were together and his father had seemed genuinely interested and even proud of what Jim was doing. 

The older Ellison had even told a rambling but funny story of a fishing trip he and some golf buddies had been on just after Easter. Jim never thought of his father having a sense of humour but there it was as he related the mishaps that had befallen him and his buddies in a Utah fishing camp. 

It felt good to laugh with William Ellison, something Jim could not recall doing since he was very young. And Stephen! Stephen's mouth had fallen open shortly into the story and stayed that way, as if he could not believe what their father was telling them. Jim had laughed as much at that as the story itself. 

His relationship with his father might never be as warm and comfortable as Jim would have liked but they were all trying. That as much as the good time they had today had left him in a mellow mood. 

As he swung the truck around a corner, something caught his eye. Half a block later, he realized what he thought he saw was Blair. He pulled over to the curb and using the passenger side mirror, checked. It was Blair. Blair sitting down on the pavement beside this old rummy. What was he doing? 

His curiosity got the better of him and he let his hearing follow his sight to his Guide's heartbeat and then the conversation that was happening. 

"... so the last time I made it home, the wife kicked me out. Ain't seen 'em since." 

"What are their names?" Blair's voice casual but interested. 

"Ah. I ...well." Embarassed, "Been a long time. Over 30 years, yah know?" 

"Sure. I can barely remember stuff from last week. You said you were in the army." 

"Yah. Served in Vietnam. Technical advisor in the early days. Then acclimatizing the grunts when they came in later. Helping them understand about fighting in the jungle, about the people. Hell of a place after California." A chuckle. "One time we got a load of guys in right from New England and it was winter back home. Some of these guys had never been out of their state much less to Southeast Asia and when they felt that steamy heat and saw the women...my god, the women in those long white ao dai. Them boys went bug-eyed on us real fast." 

Blair laughed."Remember my first time in an isolated village in Africa. The display of ..." his hands cupped in front of his chest..."well, let me just say my teenaged hormones were seriously raging." 

"Yup, you could really be taken down by that. I liked 'nam in the early days. Before the war really got started. A good place. Good people. Made some real friends. Wondered what happened to them, after we left, you know?" 

"Maybe some of them made it out." 

"Maybe. But I was home then and ...". The man shrugged. 

An understanding grunt from Blair. "Hey, you asked me to tell you when it was 3 o'clock. Just gone that now." 

The man started to get up. "Yah, time to line up at the shelter. Got to be in first to get the best location to sleep. Back to the wall." Together with Blair,"Gunfighter position!" 

They both laughed and Blair, already on his feet, extended a hand down to the older man and gave him a tug up. The man was taller than Blair but his body was thin, wasted. He stood uncertainly for a moment before extending a hand. Blair took it readily. 

"Thanks for the talk, kid. Enjoyed it." 

"My pleasure, man. Go easy." 

"You too." A few steps and he turned back to Blair again. "Michael and Debby. That's their names." A satisfied smile and he shuffled off down the street. 

Blair stood for a few moments contemplating the man. Then he strolled down the sidewalk toward where Jim was parked. 

The Sentinel did not know why but he knew he did not want to be seen. He pulled away from the curb carefully, making sure he was in front of a big city bus so Blair would not notice the truck. 

* * *

Jim had taken his time getting back to the loft. Time to let Blair get home again. Time he used to pick up more beer and to order the Thai food to be delivered later. But when he arrived, there was no welcoming heartbeat. With a flick of his wrist, he shut off the Ford, picked up the 6 pack of beer and headed to the building. A quick wave at Colette where she was rearranging some things hanging outside her shop and up the stairs. 

As he had already determined, Blair was not in the loft. Jim slid the beer into the bottom of the refridgerator to cool and grabbed a mineral water for himself. A quick drink and he headed up stairs to change into a t-shirt and light cotton slacks. He hesitated for a moment, almost picking out sweatpants as Blair had joked but it was too warm for the cosy fleece. 

As he started downstairs, the front door opened and Blair came in. The younger man paused and looked up at his partner, surprize on his face. 

"Oh hey, Jim. Back earlier than I thought." 

"It's nearly 4:30, Chief. Game starts shortly. So, you did get out." 

"Un, yah. For a while." Blair headed to his room and toed off his shoes. 

"I've ordered the Thai for delivery at 6. Picked up some more beer. Want one?" 

"Sure, it is warmer out there than I thought." Blair caught the beer Jim lobed him and twisted off the top. A long swallow, head tilted back, adam's apple moving up and down his strong throat. Jim's eyes followed the ripple of muscle beneath the skin of Blair's throat. 

An appreciative sigh and Blair gestured with his bottle toward the kitchen. "There's some of those rice and soya muchies you like in the cupboard over the coffee perk." 

"What? When'd we get those?" 

"Had 'em for a few days but I hid them in that big tin of granola cereal and put the new curry powder in front. Didn't smell them over the curry, hnn, Jim?" Blair's smirk teased. 

Jim made a face at Blair as he pulled down the tin from the top shelf. He was practically addicted to these rice snack things and he had Blair to thank for introducing him to them. "Didn't think you could reach up this high." 

"Ha, ha. Would have been gone already if I had let you know they were there and I like them too." 

Jim poured the full bag of crispy rice snacks into a wooden bowl and, beer in his other hand, joined Blair on the sofa. The pregame show was on. They listened to a local sports analyst opine about the Jags' chances of making the playoffs. 

"What is that guy rattling on about Anderson's season for? Geeze, the man has given his best to the team and a couple of slow games, this bozo wants him traded." 

"Been more than a few games, Chief. Maybe he's right. Anderson might be past it. Comes to every man. Can't put that ball in the hoop with the same power or accuracy. Need to make room for some younger guys." 

"Oh come on, Jim. Anderson might be a bit slower these days but he still has all the moves. The way he can deke guys out. Don't you know the saying. Age and treachery will defeat youth and skill every time. Hey, isn't that your personal motto?" 

Jim tossed a couple of rice snacks at Blair. "Who you calling old?" He pumped up his biseps and loomed menacingly in Blair's direction. 

A sharp laugh but before Blair could quip back, the game started and they both settled back on the sofa. For the next hour they sipped and munched in between yelling at the screen as if the players, coaches and referees could hear them. 

By intermission, the Jags were up by 4, the munchies and beer were gone and Blair was seated on the floor in front of the sofa, knees drawn up to his chest, turning from the tv screen to Jim and back, doing his own colour commentary. 

Jim rose and headed toward the door. "Get the plates, Chief. Food is on its way up." He waited until the delivery man rang the door bell before he opened the door, not wanting to spook the guy the way he had the pizza kid. They had had to change pizza places because of that. 

The coffee table was cleared and the cartons of Thai food spread over it. The remainder of the six-pack, plates and cutlery added. By unspoken consent, each man served from half the cartons, long practice telling them which dishes the other one wanted. In less than three minutes they were settled back on the sofa, enjoying the food. 

After a few moments of eating, Blair glanced at Jim. "So how was lunch with your Dad and Stephen? You didn't say." 

Around a mouthful of crisp spring roll, "Good. We had a good time. Talked about what we'd been doing and Dad didn't look at me when Stephan was speaking as if to say I should be doing something like that. Even asked a couple of questions when I talked about the PD." 

Mouth chewing away, Blair nodded to encourage Jim to continue. 

"You wouldn't believe it...he told a funny story. Not a joke but a story about a fishing trip he and his buddies took." Jim paused and smiled, almost to himself. "Haven't laughed with him since... I don't know when. Was good. Whole thing was good." 

Blair grinned back. "I can tell. I have never seen you smile like that about your Dad. It's great, man." 

"You could have come. You would even have liked the restaurent. That Italian one over on Robson, Sicilia." 

"Nah, I would have altered the dynamic. Important to have those family times work out." 

"I suppose you are right. So how was your day? You did get out for a bit." 

"Yah. It was good too. Different, you know but good." He stared down into his food for a minute. "You are lucky, you know, being able to be with your Dad even if things are uncomfortable sometimes. There are so many guys out there who are disconnected from their families. Fathers who have not seen their kids in years. Children who don't know their dads." 

Jim knew Blair was speaking of his own situation and guys like the rummy he had been talking to. "You're right there, Chief. Treasure what you have and be thankful." He studied the edge of Blair's face, tilted down to eat a forkful of his food. "But family can go beyond blood ties." 

About to sip some beer, Blair glanced up, eyes wide. Jim extended his bottle of beer and clunked the end against Blair's bottle. "To fathers and sons." 

"Yah, fathers and sons." 

The roar of the crowd from the tv pulled their eyes around and they joined in the chant "Go Jags Go." 

* * *

End Without. 


End file.
